Flavel House Museum

This is a place I would like to introduce as truly impressive. Built in 1885, it is a magnificent example of a Queen Anne–style Victorian mansion. It was constructed earlier than Eugene’s Shelton McMurphey Johnson House and Portland’s Pittock Mansion, and the interior is so well maintained that it could still be rented out today as an Airbnb. The instruments in the music room, the firewood stove in the kitchen, and the bathroom facilities were all striking features that offered a vivid glimpse into life of that era, making the visit thoroughly enjoyable. I strongly recommend this site. Please refer to the photo for admission fees. In my case, I visited using a free ticket I received when I went to the Astoria Column. When planning your trip, I suggest visiting the Astoria Column first, then using the parking pass and the three complimentary museum tickets that come with it. I heard they are valid until the end of this year, but please confirm again.

If your a history buff and want to brush up on local PNW lore, this is a great place to get to know an influential family. Lovely experience for anyone who can appreciate fine craftsmanship, and a chance to slow down and see the sights of Astoria

An absolutely wonderful experience from start to finish. The self-guided tour was engaging and easy to follow, and the staff and volunteers were genuinely kind and welcoming. The Flavel House is beautifully preserved, with each room carefully arranged to reflect life in the late 1800s. The accompanying photos showing the original uses of each space make the history come alive in such a unique way. A must-visit for history enthusiasts, architecture lovers, or anyone who appreciates Victorian-era charm.

I’ve visited a lot of historic house museums over the years but the Flavel House takes the cake for the size of the rooms relative to the era it represents. At over 11,000 square feet, the house commands the full city block on which it’s set. The rooms are very well decorated to represent the period. Some of the furnishings are Flavel family pieces. Excellently curated with abundant labels, there’s a lot to learn here, particularly if you’ve never visited a Victorian era home before. Given the Flavel’s particular prominence in history of Astoria and the Pacific Northwest in general, this is a must see for any history buff.

Absolutely mind boggling to think nobody wanted this place in the 1940's and the Flavel family had trouble giving it away. The city almost tore it down to put in a parking lot! Thankfully the Clatsop County Historical Society stepped up, and has done a magnificent job of restoring this house to original condition. If you're traveling to Astoria it's well worth the visit.

Beautiful victorian house, very well taken care of. Very affordable entrance ticket

The self guided tour at the Flavel House in Astoria, Oregon, was like walking through a time warp that allows the visitor to not only see all of the beautiful masterpieces throughout but also submerge all of your other senses into the past. We were allowed to check out everything from the grounds to the bathrooms on our own, and I think that was the most special part of the tour.

Very unique and beautiful piece of history being preserved for everyone to admire and enjoy. The whole experience was delightful, from the entrance at the carriage house and educational pre-entry video, to the walk through, and talk with the curator. I loved every minute of it. All the staff were extremely friendly and helpful. We got some delightful insite on the habits of the family who lived there and the spaces not accessible to the public (mainly the attic and basement). I definitely recommend a walk through, the architecture, ornate decor, and phenomenal craftsmanship, were really a treat to see.

This house was absolutely breathtaking. It has to be one of the best cared for house museums I've ever visited. I was shocked to hear from the docent that it was in bad shape many decades ago before it opened as a museum. Grand, high ceilings and immaculate furnishings. The docent noted to me that it doesn't have "old house smell" -- she was right! This is a great place to learn some Astoria history from a prominent Astoria family!

A very nice museum. It was a cold and rainy day in Astoria. So I went to a few museums. This one was very interesting and beautiful.

Came here for the plum pudding but there's no plum in it. It is a spiced cake served with their black tea and lemon curd and a side of rum whipped cream it it isn't alcoholic. It was cool to walk around and see how a rich captain lived his life and the luxuries they could afford. Great to see it was kept as a historical museum.

Beautiful home/museum and grounds. While you can't tour the entire home, they've opened most of the 2 main levels to wander. Nicely staged with lots of historical info within each space. Fun and interesting stop if you enjoy that sort of thing. We ended up purchasing the 3-museum passes...they're cheap and we figured why not. We enjoyed the Flavel and Heritage, not so much the Film Museum.

I'm geeking out over this place. I stopped in last weekend with relatively low expectations but I was blown away by this home and the history. Nothing here went without careful thought & planning. Every inch of this home is ornate and stunning! From the fourteen foot ceilings to the perfectly crafted floorboards, every piece of art & furniture inbetween is flawless. I really enjoyed learning about the Flavel family as well. I found myself oooing and ahhhing at every corner. This is an absolute gem!

Worth a walkthrough of this gorgeous Victorian mansion. Definitely watch the introductory film about George Flavel and the river pilot business first. It adds rich context for what you'll see inside.

Quite possibly the most beautiful restored historic home I've been in, especially all the furniture and other household items that were in great shape. The house is a beautiful sight from the front, the restoration work on the exterior is immaculate. Your visit begins in the carriage house to purchase a ticket - don't bypass a visit to it as well as the main house! There are nice interpretive signs scattered around each room that do a nice job of explaining the history and usage of the home. It was nice to have an explanation of the lives of the people who lived there, the captain's daughters, wife, etc. I would recommend a visit to the house to any of my friends that were passing through Astoria. It's also right next door to the jail/film museum, so get a good parking place and spend a couple of hours in the area. Walking distance to shopping, restaurants, etc.

This place is super interesting. There a a 14 minute video to watch before taking your self guided tour and I highly recommend watching it. We learned so much about Astoria and the Flavel family. The house is restored to its Victorian roots and even has original furniture from the Flavel family. I didn't know anything about them until we visited and watched the short movie. I am so glad we got to experience this !

A pretty cool house to check out. The historic house is one of Astoria's landmarks, and a nice one at that. It is only decorated ~20% with its original decor, but is preserved well. It really did feel like stepping back in time! There's people around the house to help answer questions as well. $7 for adults.

Flavel House was beautifully kept up. Definitely something to visit if you are in Astoria, OR. There is a video that talks about the Flavel family and then you can walk throughout the home and read the descriptions of each room. The house was a marvel and the staff were pleasant and available to answer any questions.

... This place is so haunted... OMG..!! If you walk by this museum at night you will see "something" watching you..

Loved everything about this and the Flavel House is a must see if you are in Astoria. Beautifully curated with original objects and furnishings from the Flavel family.

Not only was this house in The Goonies, but it's a gorgeous specimen of Queen Anne architecture and has many original Victorian pieces inside that belonged to the Flavel family! The man that had it built, George Flavel, was a pioneer that helped ships navigate the treacherous Columbia Bar (aka Graveyard of the Pacific!!) and one of Oregon's first millionaires. The museum is centrally located in the quaint little town of Astoria, right next to the Oregon Film Museum. There's plenty of both paved and street parking. The websites don't mention this, but they have options to buy tickets to both with a small discount that also includes entrance to a third museum (can't remember which one since I didn't visit it) and it's totally worth it! The house itself is stunning and so are the gardens. They start you off with a short, informative video about the Flavel's and I highly recommend watching it - I had no ideas about this family but they were very interesting people! Very underrated! I enjoyed meandering through the house, learning about the plumbing (which was very advanced for the era!) and about all the little intricate details of the rooms and furnishings! If you're at all interested in Victorian era style and history, this is a must-see!

A fascinating view of life in the 1800s in Astoria. We stayed much longer than we had planned. It is very interesting and the docent has a lot of great information as well. Don't miss the dress up area for kids in one of the upstairs bedrooms.

Worth a stop. Self-guided tour. Lovely gardens and plenty of information. Gift shop in Carriage House with lots more information to read.

I was really excited to come check this out because I love historic locations. It was easy to locate and find parking, reasonable prices and decent hours. So we made this our first stop of the day and weren't disappointed. The docent was really helpful and friendly. I just find it cool to kind of step back in time and imagine what life and the area were like back then. There were lots of fun details to discover. It was beautiful and you just really around at your own pace. There were a few other people who came in later but it was still easy to navigate. I feel like if you're going to visit the area this is definitely worth the stop. Might as well get in a little history!

Loves revisiting history in this beautiful old and ornate home. It was an adventure.

Worth about $2 a ticket. Fun to see and explore, but much of it was unavailable to look at or roped off. House is a little disheveled and appears to be sinking in certain parts.

Beautiful Astoria! This is a perfect example of Victorian construction, furniture and decorations. Watch the video in the gift shop so you know the history of the house and of the town. Worth it.

We happened upon this house/museum on accident. We were playing on a slide just a few blocks up that is carved into the hillside (fun for kids and adults) and we saw this. The prices were a bit high imo, but we really did enjoy ourselves. The house has so much rich history and it was run to see how people used to live and see the influence that Flavel had on Astoria. My 8 year old and my 19 year old both loved it. Beautiful grounds for pics too. Check out the lotus flowers in the pond!

Cool tour. Our tour guide Adam was very knowledgeable and gave us a great tour. I loved seeing the music room, fancy dining room and the kitchen.

Historic and beautiful... This museum is located in Astoria at the coastal side of Oregon on the Columbia River, near the Pacific Ocean. We arrived and parked right across the street. Looking directly at the home/museum, the Queen Anne-style house (popular during the Victorian era) was every bit as majestic as its royal name implies. We purchased tickets at another part of the estate, if facing the front of the museum the shop is in the carriage house to the left. There are signs that led us there. Tickets are $5/adults ($4 AAA discount). Before heading to the museum we watched a short video about the family history. I highly recommend watching it, it gave us an insight of the life of Captain George Flavel (1823 - 1893), one of Astoria's most influential citizens in the late 1800. A lovely docent greeted us at the door and we handed her our tickets. We proceeded to our self-guided tour taking our time looking at each room. The first floor was designed for entertaining. The parlor, library, music and dining rooms were beautifully restored with antiques from the late Victorian era. We climbed up a winding wooden staircase to the second floor with five bedchambers (they each had their own rooms including the Captain and his wife), and noticeably were the tall windows, 12-foot ceilings and, during its era, a very modern central bathroom with an enclosed tin-plated copper bathtub, flushing toilet with a pull chain and marble sink. I loved the old woodwork and took quite a few pictures of the intricate patterns of the wood (btw, no flash photography allowed). The entire house has treasures in every room. Hubby and I spent a little over an hour at the museum. This was the retirement home of Captain George Flavel, who had it built from 1884-1886. He lived here with his wife, Mary Christina Boelling, and two of their children, Nellie and Katie. George Conrad, their son, was married and living in his own home. Thank you for letting people tour this wonderful home. I will definitely go again! Review #1400 (51st business review)

Beautiful house and great story, the Flavel house should definitely be a stop on your vacation. It has lots of pieces from the era and is just stunning.

Extremely decent way to spend 20 or 30 minutes Very nice staff in the house itself (thanks Frances) who seem very excited and knowledgeable still & some very pretty furniture abd mirrors etc. Doesn't feel particularly haunted although someone died there. Nice staff in the carriage house too. Wish there were more clothes and personal items to look at but that's about it. Reccomend.

When we visited Astoria we had to make the hard decision between flavel house and the oregon film museum. We decided to go here and check it out. I was skeptical at first, but I am glad we did it. This house is old and full of history. From the dusky smell as you enter to all the beautiful art and wood work as you walk through. I am so very glad the historical society was able to save this treasure from becoming another parking lot. Its worth a visit and I hope it sticks around for a long time.

Nice little stop in town. Gorgeous old house with period furnishing (not sure if its original to the house or not). Had a quick stroll through their garden after buying tickets to see it in the carriage house. They just don't make them like this anymore....well maybe if you're loaded $$$. Worth the visit!

I loved it! It was $6 to walk around which may seem like a lot but honestly they could charge more; it's expensive to maintain old victorian homes. It was a lovely history lesson and it was great to see that the curator keeps up wait the seasonal decorations the home had at the time.

The preservation of this place is a phenomenal. I am a huge fan of late 19th and early 20th century architecture. The different tiles on the fireplaces are perfection. My absolute favorite thing is the calla Lilly blown glass chandelier in one of the bedrooms. Gorgeous.

We were being our goonie selves in Astoria one of my favorite coastal towns and saw this across the street while at the Film museum so figured we'd check it out. It's a beautiful house! We watched the historical movie about the Flavels in the gift shop before heading in for our self guided tour. The furniture is all the original occupants and has the antique smell in the house. They have a beautiful view of the port docks from up top. Great spot for learning about the early life of Astoria and the Tug boats that saved the ships from the deadly Columbia sandbar.

It's a pretty cool house. I like seeing these types of places being preserved. It's directly across the street from the Goonies movie jail and yes this house (the outside) was in the movie too. The initial movie about the history of the place was well done but the announcer reminded me of the guy who did Biff's Casino history in Back to the Future II. It's pretty funny (and an accident I'm sure).

Really great way to learn about the history of Astoria. If you are a history buff or enjoy Victorian architecture, this is a must do in Astoria. Friendly staff as well.

Opened the door to see what it was (a museum of Astoria or just an old house that is well-kept) and was rudely greeted by "Diane." My husband, his elderly mother and I wanted to know what it was (no, not "free" tour around, we just see what type of museum: either a historic house and that's all, or a more historical museum of the town with displays and artifacts) before we purchased tickets. When I said we hadn't bought tickets yet she grabbed me by the shoulder, turned me toward the door and barked at me to leave. I was shocked how rude she was and told her exactly that, "I cannot believe how rude you are and that you put your hands on me." She said, "I deal with you people trying to get in without paying!" I told her we had not intended to go on, but wanted to know what the museum actually offered and asked where the information was. Her response was to shut the door in my face. My elderly mother-in-law (who wanted to do the tour) was shocked. When I opened the door again to take her pic, she came running (literally running) and slammed the door in my face again. Needless to say, we didn't buy tickets for fear of what Diane may do next! Perhaps some more friendly greeters are in order for such a seemingly beautiful place.

Nope; didn't ever go to the Goonies house, but did come and marvel at this former Captain's former residence that sits atop the hill with sweeping view of Astoria and the OR/WA divide.. Small little fee gets you in to view a slice of seafaring OR history. Former carriage house no more! If one likes Alameda, CA, this is the ticket for you!

Historic home in fantastic condition. Sure, there's not much from Flavel's time which is a mystery, but his story is worth knowing, as well as his role in the development of the area. The house itself takes a good half hour to see, and you want to pay attention to the artifacts. The docents are friendly, and even the gift shop has some OK stuff.

Have you ever been to the Pittock Mansion in Portland? Yes? Okay, then, no need to come here. It doesn't quite compare. And this is coming from someone who geeks out over old houses and history and empty rooms with old furniture. If you want to go inside and walk around, you pay $5. Not bad. But the house was just.... fine. Semi-interesting. It's beautiful from the outside. And free.

Great way to get the feel of life back in the old days of Salem! Close to many other activities.

Beautiful museum from the outside and inside, staff was very helpful and extremely friendly! Lots of information was given about the house it's self and about Astoria Great in site on the Victorian age styled homes. Wonderful prices completely worth the visit, just simply stunning all around! Also, bathrooms were super clean and kept up very nicely! A must see for everyone!

It was interesting how Flavel was so beloved in the town, unusual for a man in his influential position. The house is beautiful. It was almost demolished by the State of Oregon and saved by the historical society. They should be very proud that they did that and that they provide the public with such a wonderful exhibit at really amazingly low prices.

I've been here twice, once a couple of years ago, and once just a month ago. The museum is excellent, as is the film. The house itself is extraordinarily well-cared for, and you can see how everyone cares for it. My friends and I enjoyed our visit on our recent trip. My friends are merchant marines, and both enjoyed the nautical history. I enjoyed the esthetics of the house, and its historical ties to Astoria. I do think, after reading some of the comments, that volunteer training is needed. I didn't have any real issues, but on both visits, hostesses were "cold." Smiles are nice. And if others have tried to get in for free, don't assume that the next one is. Don't punish paying customers for freeloaders. There's always a volunteer coordinator, so this is for you: Be patient. Smile when dealing with someone walking in the front door. Assume that everyone is A-OK, and only act when someone isn't A-OK. I started a conversation about holiday decor, and received a blanket script, when all I wanted was a return conversation about the holiday decor. Be spontaneous and friendly. The house is a marvel, and all aspects should be treated as such. FYI, the reason I'm giving it four-stars instead of five is because such a house should have guided tours, even if the tickets cost more. With such a guided tour, I'd pay more, and give another star.

Great museum! Very informative, and the staff was very nice. Beautiful place! Gift shop wasnt overpriced, and it is a self lead tour with plaques in each room, explaining everything. 2 stories high, 9 ft. Tall doorways, beautifully crafted.

This place was kind of a neat stop for a little history of Astoria. The house was an open tour free to walk where you want obviously not roped off rooms. The woman running the house was nice but talked you up alot when you didn't particularly want to be talked to. The entry fee was $6 not a terrible price to visit and see a piece of history.

Museum is lovely but the hostesses need training. We arrive at the front door and hostess says to my husband, " I need your ticket'.' He says "My wife has my ticket." I am still slightly outside by my friend is inside, and she clearly assumed she (my friend) is me! Hostess then says "Well it doesn't look like your wife has it either." How rude! then I walk in and she demands my ticket. I Open my purse and begin to look, first finding my husband's. I attempt to hand it to him and she grabs it out of my hand saying "That is for me." Invading my personal space was not alright. She was rude to my friends as well. Then she asked if we saw the movie. We had not yet as a group, but my husband and I had come before, so we had. Today, due to the Gooniefest, we first went to the museum next door. She castigated us as "most'' people see the movie first and you won't understand and on and on ... It was demeaning and completely ruined the experience. The place is lovely but the people need to learn how lo treat guests. The little cards that you fill out are pretty useless. Instead of reading it off like a calling card, both times I've been there they just threw them on the tray and launched into all the do nots.... It would be better to be welcoming first, tell the do's then the "but please refrain from..." Beautiful home, terrible hostesses.

I love Victorian Houses. I mean, I am not just one of those girls who says "Oh yeah they are pretty' when I say this. I mean, I LOVE VICTORIAN HOUSES. Put me in a town full of them and I transform into Tour Guide Erica, dragging your butt around to show you why this one is not a Gothic style but an Italianate Style and how No, that is not authentic Victorian, they just threw up some Lattice on a 1993 house and called it Victorian in the real estate ad (grrr) to make more money. So I had to visit the famed and spectacular Flavel House. No trip was to be complete without it. My boyfriend got off lucky I did not march up to the inhabited Victorian homes in the area and ask to see their crown moldings (I did this once when I was younger and bolder) it was everything I could have asked for and more. The tour starts in the gift shop (!!) where you get a historical video on the house and the Flavels. Then you walk up to the big house and start the self guided tour. There is a guide at the front door who offers you a map which tells you about the plants outside. You can only go so far into most of the rooms and you may not take flash photos. The furniture is authentic and just as beautiful as the home. it's a bit odd to see how most of the furniture was rather plain. They had a grand living room and the spectacular velvet couches but the children's rooms were basic wooden beds and toys. I was also surprised to see a metal tub embedded in the floor and NOT a clawfoot. it did look much more ornate that way but not what I was expecting. Overall everything was so gorgeous and I was so pleased at all the interesting facts pinned to various objects and rooms. Outside there was a huge 100+ old tree that was magnificent on its own. After walking around the house for about an hour (I had to do every room twice and be sure to photograph the tiles and engravings in the woodwork for future house plans) we went back to the gift shop and I think I shocked the elderly woman working there with my basket full of purchases. We picked up some additional historical brochures on the place and got to see the sleigh and photos of the Flavel family. Will absolutely visit again any and every time I am in Astoria. And so should everyone else. Go and visit a home where people spent YEARS building and changing it and there was no detail overlooked. The people who built this home put their soul into it and it truly shows in the architecture.

Not the greatest old house I've ever had the chance to walk through, but it was ok. It was only $5 to go in (which is half of the Maritime Museum) but in order to buy the tickets you have to make your way to the carriage house. Why patrons can't just pay at the door, I'm not sure. So we headed over and bought tickets. The woman selling them suggested (strongly) that we watch a 12 min video before looking at the house, but considering that I had a meeting to get to soon, we skipped it. Bad idea, apparently. When we got over to the Flavel house a lady who looked like she could have been a ghost greeted us with less than a smile. She immediately inquired about whether we had seen the video and when we told her no, she sighed and said, "Oh, it gives you SO much information." She seemed really disappointed that we didn't watch the dumb movie. I mean, REALLY disappointed and annoyed. Anyway, the house itself was ok. It felt kind of spooky and that was pretty cool. I tried to imagine what it would be like to live in this time period and it seemed like it would be weird. The only bad thing about the house is that you can't go up to the attic because it's not safe, apparently. The staircase begs to be taken up another flight though, so we toyed with the idea of breaking the rules. We didn't.

You can just feel the history seep out of the walls of this Astoria historical beauty. If you can take the time research the family prior to the visit. I asked the guide a few questions and I believe I may have known a bit more than she did. Look into the (Hatchet Harry) piece of the family history! The craftsmanship and woodworking is amazing. The Views are just priceless. I can only imagine how they looked in the time of the Flavels. 6 dollars is nothing to keep such a treasure available for future generations. THANK YOU ASTORIA!!!

Took a tour of this old style victorian recently. Its nice to see how the rich lived over a hundred years ago. Very attractive layout, quiet and slightly mysterious like the city of Astoria. Woirth the price of admision if you like history.

Great self guided tour for $6! Photo taking is welcome, just no flash. Go to the gift shop and watch the free video first, it helps to understand and appreciate the history more.

This house I beautiful! Great self tour and reading about the family that lived there was very interesting! Worth the stop.

This was a very cool visit. A cool story to learn about, and always interesting to see the living conditions of some of these historical characters in Astoria.